Quenching wanderlust

MAY it be an exotic place, a popular destination, or even a quick road trip, this generation’s wanderlust is simply insatiable. The desire to go places has been so great that some people have turned their passion for travelling into what they do for a living.

This can be said for couple Paolo Roces and Mia Geronimo. Both my friends since our grade school days in Colegio San Agustin, they have turned this whimsical dream intro reality through Destination Getaways—a modern day travel agency that helps travelers make the most out of every adventure without spending much.

Destination Getaways was a serendipitous instance for the two well-traveled individuals. They recalled, “Just like for most people, traveling started as hobby. We were both always curious, always thirsty to discover something new and just discover new places.”

This lust for life has led to a passionate attention to the details of their travels because they simply wanted to make the most of each moment. Mia explained, “Planning trips have always been a stress-relieving activity for me and eventually people close to us started noticing already and started asking for our help in terms of travel tips and whatnot.”

Destination Getaways was only established in 2014 when Mia, a graduate of the University of the Philippines and a former pre-school teacher, decided to take a break from teaching. Pao, who graduated from the University of Santo Tomas and has four Elorde branches under his belt, then spontaneously invited her to a travel agency seminar, which he believed they would both enjoy. He shared, “I knew Mia needed a breather so we just attended the seminar out of curiosity.”

And before they knew it, everything was already in the works for them. “Everything went by so fast that we knew the opportunity was personally handed to us as if God really wanted us to nurture the opportunity and take care of this ‘baby’,” Pao added.

But what sets Destination Getaways apart from the rest is the fact that it helps people find what will makes them “feel happy to be alive.” For them, more than earning, what makes their business fulfilling is the fact that they can “connect their clients with authentic and life-changing experiences as they travel in the best and most convenient way we laid out for them.”

“Traveling easily makes anyone a storyteller and what better way to make the world a better place by telling more beautiful stories about it?” the couple enthused.

And when asked what it’s like to work with each other, especially since they have been together for 10 years (I really believe they’re gifted with superhuman powers), they answered: “We both influence each other to live to be inspired and to be inspired to live. We dream together, we pray for our dreams together, we pursue our dreams together. We are each other’s best mentors and best critics and hold on to being the best versions of ourselves to able to share it with the world.”

Get in touch with Destination Getaways on Instagram @destinationgetaways.